Becoming a martial arts saint starting with Black Tiger Fist

"That is...?"

The moment Chen Yuan saw the lotus phantom, his pupils dilated violently, his heart pounded wildly, and he almost drowned due to his disordered breathing.

Legend has it that spiritual plants that are over a hundred years old will form a unique aura of precious light when they advance in their next stage.

Did I just happen to run into this?

At this moment, the giant tortoise saw that the lotus root had been stolen, and it was so angry that it shook its huge head and desperately paddled its short limbs to chase after it.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan stopped and, carrying the heavy lotus root, quickly headed towards the riverbank. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he burst out of the water with a "splash" and returned to the shore.

He slumped on the riverbank, glanced at the milky white jade lotus root brimming with vitality in his arms, and then looked down at the river water that seemed to conceal endless secrets, a strong curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"What kind of precious plant is that radiant red and blue lotus beneath the cliff?"

In any case, a century-old precious plant is priceless, and encountering it is an incredible opportunity, so it is impossible to let it go.

However, that ravine is unfathomably deep, and the water pressure is immense when you dive down, which your physical body can hardly withstand at present.

Chen Yuanping calmed his breathing and secretly estimated, "Once I master the Canglan Fubo Gong, perhaps I can try to go down and explore it."

"Gurgle~"

Chen Yuan hadn't eaten anything all morning and had been swimming around in the water for so long, so now a strong feeling of hunger surged up inside him.

He picked up the lotus root that was emitting a misty white vapor and took a big bite.

Unlike ordinary lotus roots, this special lotus root has no slime or fibrous strands. It is moist and has a soft yet crisp texture, like a ripe apple.

The moment he took that one bite, a surge of heat flowed through his entire body, and his blood and qi seemed to boil and surge. Chen Yuan's skin turned as red as a boiled shrimp, and white steam rose from his body.

"Damn it, this lotus root has too much essence!" Chen Yuan thought to himself, and started practicing his boxing on the shore.

Each move was powerful and swift, making the air thud.

He only stopped half an hour later, when the burning sensation in his body had mostly subsided.

"The essence contained in this one piece of spiritual lotus root is equivalent to two Bone-Changing Pills. This one piece of spiritual lotus root is enough for three months' supply."

Yi Gu Dan is a higher-level Qi and Blood Pill, but it has added some bone-strengthening ingredients. In essence, it is still a Qi and Blood tonic.

Chen Yuan, panting heavily, said with a glint in his eyes, "Before the Martial Arts Department, we won't have to worry about resources anymore."

...

Another month has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this month, Chen Yuan rarely saw Jiang Cheng appear.

He spent almost all his time in the backyard with Li Hao, devoting all his energy to guiding his cultivation.

The disciples in the academy only had a few senior brothers to teach them, and many people began to have some complaints.

However, this did not affect Chen Yuan much. He had a proficiency panel, and he could improve as long as he practiced diligently. His master only needed to guide him through the basics.

During this month, Chen Yuan practiced diligently every day, and his use of internal force became increasingly proficient, to the point that he could destroy rattan balls by applying his strength.

His proficiency in fist and knife techniques steadily increased, though he was still far from perfect, but the fierce intent within them became increasingly refined.

That morning, after finishing his standing meditation, he looked at the control panel.

[Black Tiger Stump: Great Achievement (629/2000)]

"The effects of that spirit lotus root are indeed powerful; the progress is almost twice as fast as the skin-smoothing stage!" Chen Yuan thought to himself, looking at the progress bar in front of him.

At this rate, he should be close to mastering stance training before even entering martial arts school, which is equivalent to achieving mastery of bone forging. Combined with his already mastered fist techniques, he has a good chance of passing the imperial examination!

However, as the bone forging process progressed, Chen Yuan gradually noticed something unusual.

He could clearly feel that his bones were becoming denser and harder under the constant tempering of his qi and blood, which brought him strength, but also inevitably added weight.

At first, it is not obvious. Only when using movement techniques or moving around at high speed will you feel a slight, imperceptible sluggishness, as if you are wearing an invisible burden.

As the degree of bone tempering deepens, this layer of load seems to be slowly increasing.

During his boxing practice today, Chen Yuan deliberately attempted a series of rapid changes of direction with full force. After seven turns, he clearly felt a slight soreness in his right shin.

He stood with his fist clenched, his brows slightly furrowed.

"It seems that bone forging is not without its costs."

After a moment's hesitation, he walked to the backyard.

Jiang Cheng was instructing Li Hao on boxing techniques under an old locust tree in the courtyard when he saw Chen Yuan approaching. He then looked up and asked, "What's up?"

"Master," Chen Yuan bowed and cut to the chase, "As my bone-forging progresses, I feel my bones becoming increasingly heavy. While it doesn't affect my daily exertion, it seems to cause some sluggishness in subtle movements. Is there a solution to this problem?"

Jiang Cheng looked at Chen Yuan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, "You actually realized that so quickly?"

Chen Yuan nodded: "Yes, I feel that the stronger my bones are, the more noticeable my weight becomes. Although it doesn't have much of an impact right now, it could be a significant hidden danger in the long run."

Jiang Cheng remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "You were able to perceive the drawback of 'heavy bones' at the early stage of bone forging, which shows your extraordinary comprehension. Although there is a solution to this problem, it is almost unsolvable for us."

"Please enlighten me, Master," Chen Yuan said, his heart tightening as he clasped his hands in greeting.

"Ordinary martial artists forge their bones by activating their qi and blood to temper their bones, increasing their hardness and toughness. However, this process also incorporates acquired impure qi from their qi and blood, eventually forming 'impure bones'."

Jiang Cheng said slowly, "Although the turbid bones are strong, they are heavy and impure, like a pile of impurities being refined into fine iron."

"The only way to solve this problem is to use the method of 'yin and yang in harmony' to cleanse the bones, remove the turbidity, and forge 'spiritual bones'."

"Spiritual bone?" This was the first time Chen Yuan had heard this term.

"Excellent." A hint of longing appeared in Jiang Cheng's eyes. "Flawless spiritual bones, qi and blood flowing like a rainbow, a body as light as a swallow yet stronger than refined steel—this is the true, perfect form of the Bone Forging Realm. Those who forge spiritual bones are virtually invincible within the Bone Forging Realm!"

Chen Yuan's heart raced: "This method...?"

Jiang Cheng interrupted him, his tone tinged with a helpless solemnity, "It requires a spiritual object from heaven and earth that contains both yin and yang attributes as a guide, combined with a special bone-tempering method to cleanse it, in order to succeed."

"This method isn't hard to find, but these yin-yang twin treasures of heaven and earth are extremely rare, appearing only once every hundred years..."

"Besides this, the only way to enter the Dao through superior martial arts is to avoid impure energy from the very beginning. Although one cannot forge spiritual bones, one will also avoid the drawbacks of impure bones!"

"Unfortunately, the best martial arts techniques are the secret techniques of the major sects and are almost impossible to pass on to outsiders."

Upon hearing Jiang Cheng's words, Chen Yuan's heart stirred. He couldn't yet access superior martial arts, but those two types of spiritual treasures...

I wonder if the fleeting lotus light and shadow beneath the Blackwater River matches the characteristics of this spiritual creature?

Jiang Cheng glanced at Li Hao, who was also listening intently, sighed softly, and softened his tone:

"You shouldn't be too fixated on it. The drawbacks of 'heavy bones' are not significant in the Bone Forging Realm. More than 90% of martial artists never need to consider it in their entire lives."

"Only when one reaches the Blood Barrier and begins to condense the 'Golden Body' will it be necessary to make up for the shortcomings. But at that time, one can also use the resources and secret techniques of a higher realm to gradually achieve the goal. Although it will be twice as difficult and half as efficient, it is not a dead end."

He patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder: "What's most important for you right now is to stabilize your cultivation level, refine your fist techniques and stance training, and prepare for the martial arts exam. If you can join a sect or the imperial court in the future, then it's not too late to find a solution."

Chen Yuan remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "Disciple understands, thank you for your guidance, Master."

Emerging from the backyard, Chen Yuan walked along the veranda, but his heart was far from at peace.

Jiang Cheng's words, though intended as words of comfort, also pointed out a harsh reality:

On the path of martial arts, one wrong step leads to a series of wrong steps.

If the problem of "turbid bones" cannot be solved during the bone forging stage, even if one breaks through to a higher realm in the future, there will still be flaws.

Compared to those martial artists in sects who practice superior martial arts and have a solid foundation, they are inherently inferior.

"Spiritual Bone... Superior Martial Arts..."

Chen Yuan clenched his fist, a determined glint in his eyes. "Once I've mastered the Azure Wave Technique, I'll immediately go explore that underwater rift valley."